Another in the weekly series from our old friend Terra Cognita.
Doomsday Demographics
With the exception of a couple of old-timers, everyone in my bustling Scientology mission back in the day was in their late teens and early twenties. Now? The demographics have completely flipped. Everyone’s grown old; most are in their sixty’s or seventy’s; a smattering of thirty-something, second-generation staff round out the ranks.
From what I can tell from all the pictures of Scientologists in magazines and promo pieces, this trend has spread worldwide. Ideal orgs have done nothing to reverse this upward demographic drift. The ones I’ve visited look like empty Christian Science Reading Rooms, their scant staff looking more like grandparents than Millennials.
The church has failed to attract young people. Over the last forty years the average age of its members has continued to climb. Those few remaining are ready to retire or already have. A decade from now, the majority of Scientologists will be too old to do services any more. Or will have died. Or run out of money.
There is no next generation of Scientologists.
The Riches of Youth
An easy answer to what befell Scientology is that poor products didn’t work as advertised.
And yet, there was a time when Scientology had more followers.
Back in the sixties and seventies young people were looking for something different. Something unlike the lives of their staid parents. Kids were into new things. Transformative experiences. Eastern religions. Hip therapies. It was a time of drugs, sex, and rock and roll. Woodstock. Moonies. EST. New Age this. New Age that. And of course, Dianetics and Scientology with its promises of freedom and planetary salvation.
Instead of taking advantage of this youth movement, David Miscavige gutted the mission system, enforced heavy ethics throughout the organization, declared the brightest minds were SP’s, and assigned those executives closest to him to someplace called The Hole.
Nails and Coffins
Back in the old days, people didn’t use the Internet for research. The Internet didn’t exist. In the sixties and seventies, if someone wanted to learn about Scientology, he talked to a friend, checked out a copy of DMSMH from the library, or filled out an Oxford Capacity Analysis at some funky mission, downtown on Main Street.
Today, when kids want to know about something, they Google it. Yikes! After even a shallow search of Scientology, it’s a wonder anyone would have anything to do with the organization. If the Internet isn’t the last nail in the coffin, it’s one big-ass spike. There is no hiding anymore. All of the church’s dirty little secrets have been posted online for the whole world to see. Articles are posted about Scientology every day of every week that would discourage any rational person from ever walking into one of its churches.
LRH said there was no “hidden data line” in Scientology. There were no hidden texts, essays, or books. Everything he wrote was open for everyone to see. Unfortunately for his successors, the Internet made sure of this. From abusive ethics to “confidential” OT levels and body thetans, it’s all out there.
If the Internet is the Wild, Wild West, Scientology got bucked off the horse, has a foot caught in a stirrup, and is being dragged through the cactus.
An Unkind Media
We live in the information age. No longer are we limited to three TV channels. News and exposé journalism can be found twenty-four/seven among hundreds of available channels.
Every year sees more and more books exposing Scientology’s crimes—adding more nails to the coffin. (Apparently, this sad coffin takes lots of nails. Hard to keep its gilded lid shut.)
From the Tampa Bay Times to the New Yorker, newspapers and magazines regularly print unfavorable articles about Scientology. The nails just keep coming.
The media is no longer scared of the church; they’re back with a vengeance.
Friends and Advertising
The best advertisement for attracting young people is lots of other young people involved in what you’re selling. Unfortunately for the Church of Scientology, few young people exist anymore within its ranks.
I have nothing against older people. Fifty is the new forty. Seventy is the new sixty. Gray hair is the new blonde. That said, the typical eighteen-year-old isn’t all that receptive to sixty-five-year-old grandmothers telling them what’s ruining their lives. And what to do about it.
For the most part, young people have young friends and old people have old ones. Teens hang out with teens, and Boomers hang out with Boomers. Just the way it is.
The few young people inside the bubble have no friends on the outside. And since they’re discouraged from interacting with “Wogs” (except for passing out OCA’s and Way to Happiness pamphlets on street corners), they have no friends to bring into the fold.
As people age, they slow in their journey for spiritual enlightenment. Baby boomers are more concerned with making the mortgage payment, curing their chronic lumbago, and making sure they have enough for retirement than why their inability to communicate effectively is ruining their lives. The thought of giving away their life savings to some fringe church is a hard sell.
Last Words
A few faithful, internet-avoiding, last souls will continue to carry the torch for Scientology. Too much money, real estate, and soul-sucking spiritual investment exist to walk away. As for luring new serfs into their ideal castles, good luck. A harsh Lord Google guards the gate.
There is no next generation of Scientologists. That train left the station and is barreling south.
Still not Declared,
Terra Cognita
Isn’t there target age the MeMeMe age well good luck getting them to give much I was lucky if one my kids would take the trash out for me lol & FYI most real Churches only ask for 10% of your income & that money is said to help pay Elec,heat,water,ect & help goto books & Mag’s but when U spoke of what has Scn done to help ppl in need there wasn’t much to say then I thought about where I was brought up in the church & I couldn’t think of anything they did to help ? in need,sure you’d prob find ppl to give ? to wear & things you could use but other than that I honestly can’t think of anything they did & not saying they didn’t but I never saw it,mom few weeks ago said she was going to help them clean the Church not sure how dirty it could get but that makes her happy & that’s a good thing. I’ve not spent much time after I left home in any church but If I see whomever in need I skip the middleman & give right to the person 100% goes to them,some may say what if they use for drugs,booze ect I just say I gave from my heart & ? they do w what I gave them is on them.
Terri, church-wise, Scientology is probably closest to the Christian “prosperity gospel” churches – which are very controversial within Christianity. Other Christians will often say that such are not “real” churches, denounce them as not being grounded in traditional Christian theology, and even major evangelical leaders have referred to them as heretical.
Interestingly, one of the major influences of the prosperity gospel movement, was the 19th century New Thought movement that is also one of the significant influences on Scientology, most obviously through Theosophy. The modern prosperity gospel movement is considered to have started in 1947 with Oral Roberts – right before Hubbard decided to work the “religion angle.”
p.s. I’ve known a lot of people who work with the homeless – including some who were once homeless themselves. They suggest giving money to a good charity for the homeless, not directly to people themselves – since that can actually do more harm than good, given how the money gets spent and that it continues to enable their dysfunctional lifestyle.
“Instead of taking advantage of this youth movement, David Miscavige gutted the mission system, enforced heavy ethics throughout the organization, declared the brightest minds were SP’s, and assigned those executives closest to him to someplace called The Hole.”
Pretty dumb move .. ?
Harry, as Wynski noted in a comment below, the youth demographic started to decline in the 1970s – the peak year of the Baby Boom was about 1956 and it is considered to have ended in the mid-1960s, and so around 1976 the number of 20 year olds would have been at its highest point, and then gone into steep decline. Some of the newer and more marginal colleges, for instance, started to struggle and eventually closed during that period. The post-boom generation had originally been referred to as a “baby bust” but eventually got the name Generation X, in part because it had a different character that was harder to categorize. They literally grew up in the aftermath of the Baby Boomers and the 1960s, and reacted to or even rejected the values and interests of that earlier generation.
I think that any analysis of Miscavige’s rule has to take into account the complexity that he did not inherit a stable Scientology and change it, but rather came to power when Scientology was both changing internally, such as having the Sea Org and CMO impose the new management style developed by Hubbard on board the ships, and also facing different external conditions. That is particularly important to debunk the misty-eyed Hubbard loyalist notion that everything was wonderful when the old man was running the show (and, presumably, could be again) but somehow the out-of-character figure of Miscavige managed to arise and take things in a completely different direction.
“Today, when kids want to know about something, they Google it. Yikes! ”
TC, you absolutely nailed it. Imagine the first time you googled scientology? Yep, and the more you go down that rabbit hole, the worse it gets.
This mirrors my own experience. At my old mission back in the mid 70’s, most of the people were in their 20’s. Like college aged. There were a few “old” people who were in their 30’s and 40’s. And the place was humming – lots of people. There would be parties there on the occasional Saturday night.
When old-timers say scientology used to be fun, that’s what they’re talking about. It was the same sordid subject that it is now, but scientologists had fun. Of course, there were no IAS regges, Flag tour regges, basics regges calling you at all hours, cornerstone memberships, etc. etc. etc.
The only young people in the chult now are the children of clams, and they are mostly in the SO. There’s hardly any young public.
Scientology is just a zombie cult now – it continues to walk and eat brains, but the body is dead.
Wow. What a description
Everything, anything and nothing? As the end game for Scientology. I think it will be piecemeal. DM will die or leave the country taking the money. He may try to control from overseas, that may last a while then bit by bit a new chief will emerge withe with a new way for The Source to be heard or a rehash of DM-ism. People will move on, ship off, die, give up. A few hard core members will hang on. The money in will dry up, very few new people will join and The Source will go on for a long long time and now and then people will find value in it and use it for their own lives for hundreds of years I imagine (note: WW4 might throw things off).
What I doubt will happen, a celebrity version of Waco or Heavens Gate. Increased membership and things staying the same for more than say 15 years.
Keep in mind that men like Warren Jeffs are STILL running the FLDS from his prison cell. Jeffs latest order was that no one was tallowed o be married…….why you might ask? Well, for ONE thing…Jeffs is in the lock up and he can’t marry any more under aged 12 year olds and he can’t have SEX with them. Jeffs is dictating daily life and his brother is following his commands.
The same thing will happen with CO$ if DM were to escape…he’d run CO$ from afar. There is no doubt that he has stock piled millions, possibly billions and he can live off that for decades. His underlings will do his biddings….for a price.
When the old timers find out what was really going on…….it’s a sad situation for them.
L Yash, I think Warren Jeffs is indeed a good example that you found. But I also think it shows that the mindset of leaders like that, is to die with their boots on – they know nothing else, and can’t conceive of anything else.
I think that Scientology may have been limited in stashing too much money abroad by their agreement with the IRS, and I doubt that Miscavige has really made plans to just escape and leave things behind. But it wouldn’t surprise me if there was some contingency planning, and that if things got bad Miscavige would try to leave the country and maybe even run Scientology from ships at sea the way that Hubbard did.
Agree 100% PM…..
.He can certainly try to turn things from a ship floating on International Waters…but eventually run out of fuel, and fuel supply tankers that might be paid to “refil the Free Winds” could be stopped before entering International Waters.
However, he can also run to a country without an extradition treaty in place where he can live life to the fullest with all the money secured in overseas banks that can’t be touched. He can “run things” as did LRon from afar and be “safe” from prosecution unless he re enters the USA, even under cover, someone will rat him out.
Most Evil people have an escape hatch, self preservation is their big ticket item. They care nothing for those left behind “holding the bag” who would face severe harsh criminal prosecution for their own part in the crimes they’ve committed or assisted in committing.
Seems that if they were given immunity, it would damage THEM and their own credibility severely.
One day Karma will come to roost, the idols with clay feet will eventually fall. Will it be the total END of Scientology as it is today, that remains to be seen.
L Yash, my presumption would be that if Miscavige took to the sea, they would acquire at least one additional ship if only just to have a safeguard against logistics problems. But just as there are safe havens, I’m certain they could always find parties willing to deliver fuel and supplies.
I think that Miscavige moving to a country without an extradition treaty may be one of the less likely possibilities, because a lot of them are not inviting places to live, while some of the most desirable ones would likely be hostile to Scientology – Russia, for instance, where Scientology is under official attack, or the rich oil states where the rulers are Muslims. He might, like Hubbard, move between several of them, trying not to run afoul of the authorities and wear out his welcome.
Money might actually be the problem in the long run. I’m not sure how much there is overseas that Miscavige would have independent access to, after Scientology agreed with the IRS to clean up Hubbard’s profiteering schemes and avoid any future personal inurement. Miscavige might find his access to funds largely or completely cut off after time, and running Scientology in exile would probably be very expensive.
History suggests that totalitarian leaders don’t usually have backup plans, they expect to die in the saddle – and often end up losing their lives because they held on to the bitter end. The last major political dictator to successfully go into a cushy exile was Ferdinand Marcos, three decades ago. I would expect that any backup plans that Miscavige has, are framed around keeping him as the leader in exile of Scientology, rationalized around that being necessary to save the organization – though it would also serve the purpose of his self-preservation. Miscavige’s overall plans are obviously much less rational and completely thought out than might be expected on a number of points, and it’s entirely possible that he has no real plans for what to do in case of criminal charges or organizational collapse, any more that Ponzi schemers seem to.
Many excellent points my friend! We do know that they have hoards of lawyers and as we both noted, self preservation would be KEY to someone like him to as you noted “save the organization.”.
HIs loyalist still drinking the Kool Aid will support him to the bitter end…of THEIR life, not his, since most of them are probably around his father’s age.
He may not have rationalized some things, but he has hoards of lawyers who will argue to the bitter end with any “government officials” that may intervene on his behalf. Whether he would ever do any prison time, well that’s a toss up.
Amazing comments….
I agree. Great post by Terra and great comments below. Very informative discussion here today.
I’m a never-in, and it’s still always a bit of a shock to see candid photos taken at various orgs and missions during the ’70s and early ’80s because there are so many happy and enthusiastic-looking young people in them! The spaces and furnishings are all no-frills utilitarian, but in so many shots the course rooms are full, and I swear I can feel the excited, upbeat vibe just looking at people’s faces and bodily postures. Some of those old pics make Scientology look like it was a pretty awesome thing to be into, at least back then, and have given me a bit of insight into how it got so big and was so attractive.
Contrast those old photos with the sterile, expensively-remodeled–and completely empty–rooms of any Ideal Org, anywhere, and the event photos that, even when taken from the back, can’t hide all the gray or balding heads, or matronly hairstyles and dye jobs. My, how things have changed. And I can’t help but wonder how many of those geezers were around during those glory years, when there barely enough auditors to keep up with demand, and nobody had trouble finding a twin to go on course with, and stats actually were straight up and vertical. How do they look around at the demographic collapse in progress and not see it? And how do they explain it away?
Out of curiosity – can anyone take a guess what would happen if DM disappeared (arrrested, goes into hiding like lrh, etc)? There has to be someone other than TC who would try and take over. It would be like the golden apple tossed amongst the goddesses.
If and when Demented Miscreant jumps ship the money and real estate will go with him.
Diana. She’s waiting for it. Won’t ever happen.. but she is waiting for it.
You’d have a whole bunch of very happy lawyers! The IRS would convene a special meeting and many a city official would go, “well… I’ll be damned, send legal in to see me!”
First of all, it’s the height of absurdity to think that TC would ever consider taking any responsibility for management or leadership of Scientology. He’s a movie star, and that’s all the job he ever needs or wants.
Grant he is or was a movie star…..but his once high brow demand for feature films seems to have faded a bit. Three marriages and three divorces and still in the COS fold…..super loyal to DM….IF DM asked him to do so….HOW would he turn THAT request down??
Of course TC is not capable of running anything
But in HIS mind, remember its LRH, then DM, then him. Sadly I can’t do the visual of Tom telling this to the last actress he dated before Katie
It will be even MORE interesting to hear what TC might say to the NEXT actress (who probably will be around 25-30 yrs old) a/k/a tentative wife #4, that he will be next in line to run “the organization”. Wow….now THAT might be an idea for a new movie ……
MrsShark, DM being arested is a pipe dream. If he “disappeared” or went into hiding it would be to continue running scamology. Thus, no replacement needed.
It could be a pipe dream. Also Capone was taken in on tax evasion. If the goverment, powers that be, etc wants you, they will find a way to get you
Good article. Glad the things from the earlier days were included too. I had a great time in the early days, and did feel fulfilled as far as wanting to help each time I audited someone. Well after all, I had wanted to join the Peace Corps and when I found Dianetics I was glad I could do some good without traveling to foreign lands. Too bad there was also so much crap that was brought into the mix in greater and greater amounts after a while. It’s been good to find some of my old friends on facebook, talk and tell them about the horror stories at the int base and how long it’s been going on. They would always be in disbelief. They never got wind of it when it was happening, but they know now! Thanks, Terra.
Im not a Scientologist. Never was. I don’t understand how the Travoltas can ignore all things being revealed about CofS..if i was in their shoes
Id at the very least be very curious. I mean
Wtf?!?
So perfect Terra, good for you on nailing it. As Gary mentioned in a comment below we witnessed this completely while doing our sec-checks after being out for 30 years. We observed old people and young people (youngsters were mainly in the SO)who were all 2nd generation. It seemed to us that there was an age group of 40-60 year olds who were missing from the group, especially in PAC. In fact, among the scn public going to AOLA, we felt as though we were in the younger range (but we are in late 50 and early 60)! It was so weird. I spoke to one the young regges who became someone I was drawn to as she told me she was an “orphan” after I asked about her family. Dad had died and Mom was declared, she therefore considered herself an orphan. Another day I walked around the building to just stretch out my legs and ended up walking with an elderly SO member who needed a cane to walk – her and I chatted and I told her how I had been a messenger on the Apollo and at Int until 82 – her response – Oh you were part of the “Cowboy Days of the SO” – what the h—- does that mean?? It was actually very disturbing to me to see the elderly there and then the very young. Another elderly public who I would chat with at the Café, she could not hold the cans with her fingers so the tech page would come and put these wrap around pads around her wrists and then get her off to session. And another thing, everything was so bloody serious, there was no fun………one of the things that really p…. me off was that in all the HGC’s at AO, they had a running loop on the TVs of all past events with Miscavige going on and on….it would drive me nuts….waiting to go in session…..Ugghhh…….
Karma’s a real bitch, especially if you’re a cult that’s been hard at abusing and the neglecting children, seniors and disabled folks who are in it or related to it through family. $cn doesn’t give a flying rat’s ass about anyone who isn’t contributing to it, either financially or through their “volunteer” work. Everyone else is ignored at best or targeted to be destroyed at worst, while that same sociopathic orientation and set of behaviors has been the cult’s standard practice for more than six decades now.
Now that all of Elron’s evil chickens have finally come home to roost through the magic of the internet, no amount of happy talk PR is ever going to change those historical facts. Plus, since the cult takes no responsibility whatsoever for that very long history of crime and abuse, it’s not even thinking about changing things up. as a result, $cn has only itself to blame for its inability to hold onto its current members, let alone suck in new marks to keep the con rolling…and praise Xenu for that!
I was interviewed by a Canadian religious scholar several years ago for a book he was writing. I asked him what he thought the future of the Church of Scientology would be. He told me that the biggest mistake Miscavige had made was in thinking the church had become generationally supported. He said that that process usually takes at least a century. He also said that he thought the subject would continue to be practiced in some form by individuals and small groups but not as a formal religious institution with monolithically controlled “places of worship.”
I have to disagree with this statement:
“As people age, they slow in their journey for spiritual enlightenment. Baby boomers are more concerned with making the mortgage payment, curing their chronic lumbago, and making sure they have enough for retirement than why their inability to communicate effectively is ruining their lives. The thought of giving away their life savings to some fringe church is a hard sell.”
I know many, many people who in their old age desperately spend their savings and retirement on their last attempt to get to the top of their bridge before they pop off….seen it many many times and the sad part is most of them spend the money only to be told they can’t get onto the upper levels because they are too old…
Once again…F&ck you Miscarriage.
Randomness, good point. I saw the parents of a friend of mine liquidate their life’s savings and retirement money to buy the husband a lot of auditing at AOLA as a last ditch effort to get him uptone and happy and cure his depression. (He was poor, having given all money to the church, couldn’t work, and this alone would make anyone depressed.) Anyway, as a last ditch effort he spent all their money on 12 intensives at AOLA. He got there and most of it was Sec Checks, he didn’t get the magic shot in the arm he thought it would be, he came home and they were destitute cuz he spent it all. So they had to move in with their daughter in CA. Their lives are reduced to a very small bedroom in Burbank.
Well written and interesting.
Google has a memory thank goodness. Some of us critics are also getting long in the tooth. I wonder how the whole scene will look like in about 25 years.
Miscavige will likely be gone. Most people who knew Hubbard personally will also have left.
It will be 2nd and 3rd generation scientologists trying to keep a dated and history hobbled organization going.
Who or what will counter it?
Hold on a minute folks! Golly Gee, Leaping Lizards…Holy Keerrrapp…Say it ain’t so, the horrors of it all that…Lron & DM BOTH gone permanently???…..
What about the reincarnation aspect of the “organization”…….what about the homes that are being “kept up in good repair” & stocked with all of Lron’s wants and needs ready & waiting….for jois return!!1
Are you telling us that all that CO$ has told it’s members that this many lives, after life & reincarnations is nothing more that a crock of shit????
I’m totally stunned!!!!!
Has there also been a change in the gender of staff and Sea Org members over the decades? It seems like there used to be more women than men, especially women with high SO rank.
Yes, it was FUN being a scientologist at the big city mission back in the idealistic, post-hippie days. We were terribly full of ourselves with bravado. We condescended to the outsiders with that signature laser-eyed smile that said, “I know things you do not”. Being able to adopt such a superior attitude was intoxicating for a practically-average-in-every-way person. It makes you one of the planetary elite!
And being on course was a rollicking time. All that social interacting in the context of dynamic, transformative disciplines aimed at heretofore unknown states of consciousness!…it created a sort of Camelot in our minds. Understandably there are people who don’t want to let go of all that. But honestly, even rats know when to jump ship!
The Die-of-ethics book got me in the front door but it was the bright, self-confident people that kept me inside for so long. All people are bright and self-confident when they’re pumped up with wonderful and exciting lies. Those bright self-confident people are now gone from the church. What has changed? It’s the lies. They’re still there as ever but they’re not exciting any more. A lie only works when you don’t know it’s a lie. Alas, Hubbard’s war against information was finally lost.
It was 1975. My mother had a Phd in psychology and was introduced to Dianetics by a friend and a peer who lived in Santa Barbara who was also practicing a form of therapy called rolfing. Back in the 70’s there was little anti-psych fervor and certainly no sign of CCHR on the horizon. Earlier texts by Hubbard acknowledged “two thousand years of thinking men” who supposedly had influence over his “research” into the mind. Both of these women were educated, independent and self-empowered. Dianetic auditing was the rage and there was a rising wave of interest in his ideas and the idea that past lives was something you could know more about. Particularly amongst some who constituted the leading edge of research in the field of psychology at the time. At one point there was an effort by Hubbard to enlist the support (endorsement?) of educated professionals and this caper was called “FASE”. (“foundation for advancement in science and education”) My mother was given a plaque indicating her membership into this sub group that Hubbard was attempting to get validation and credibility from. There were plenty of implications that people who were recognized as members of F.A.S.E were opinion leaders and would be looked upon to make contributions to the process of Scientology being validated and recognized in the mainstream. This was the sole purpose. It failed by design and there was a backlash against those who started FASE and in turn that door was slammed shut. By whom I do not know. At that time you could walk into an Org or Mission and find educated people in their 40’s and 50’s who were kind and had a balanced world view. They were trained auditors many of them and took time to work with one-on-one with new people so they had a grip on what Scientology was offering. This approach was attending to peoples curiosity and the stress was on co auditing and getting people grooved in to the *subject*. The “cult” flavor was literally non existent in Missions and the atmosphere was friendly and inviting. My point is Scientology abandoned what could have been very successful. (an open door policy for open minded educated people) There was no disconnection to drive a foul taste into peoples mouth’s and it was pretty easy going. By attacking the field of mental health and white washing higher education as a waste of time Hubbard doomed his movement and the invasion of the Sea Org just cemented that process. Scientology received some self inflicted mortal wounds that it never recovered from by attacking higher education, educated people and the very middle class that could afford auditing. It went down Hubbards CDEI scale and went down Hubbards tone scale. The 70’s was a special time never to be repeated. Scientology gained a foothold by virtue of those opportunities and squandered it from then on. In the information age Scientology is decidedly against any source of information other than Miscavige approved sanitized glorified 1950’s and 1960’s version of L Ron Hubbard. By making it a crime to use your own computer in a self determined effort to obtain unbiased information about Scientology today, David Miscavige has ensured Scientology’s destruction.
Doug this is so fascinating. I remember the Rolfer, she was Pat Wandler. She lived in an awesome hippy dippy house in the Mission Canyon part of Santa Barbara. She was warm and wonderful and gave me some impromptu dianetic auditing when Rolfing me as I seemed to have contacted an “incident.” She went with it. It was electrifying. That is what got me into the church.
She was mostly involved in the local field group of Larry Little or Larry somebody. I remember when David Mayo set up shop in Montecito most of the field group peeps went over to his group.
Pat Wandler was just wonderful. Unfortunately she died too young, I believe of cancer.
I really appreciate your story about FASE. I never knew about it, but I’ve seen big pushes for “bright ideas” and then they don’t work and it’s “head on a pike” time.
An interesting peek into a time I remember well.
Doug, the collapse began in ’75. It was the demographics that doomed it. Not a change in friendliness. That records are clear (no pun intended) on that point.
Dave,
scientology update:
The Indian Poker of cults.
I was part of the 70’s boom and saw firsthand a filed up Stevens Creek mission and all the young people that made it exciting and vibrant. Mismanage has sucked the life out of whatever good there may have been in this cult. I remember seeing my Comm Course super once in an evening as he was so busy wth all his students, and he was one of 5 or 6 supes. You really felt part of something special. So along with the aging and dying membership, Mismanage is aging himself. He certainly doesn’t look to plan for a successor so his demise too could spell the end of the cult. Granted that’s perhaps 20-30 years off, depending on when he needs to shed his body to continue finding grammatical errors on Hubbies later research.
Stevens Creek in the late 70s or early 80s. Kingsley Wimbush and de-dinging tech. That spread thru the Mission network like wildfire. Those were indeed heady times. If I remember rightly it was a combination of Simon Boliviar, PTS to the middle-class tek, and ‘subtle internal suppression'(?) that created some interesting trickle-up economics. Others here probably remember the details better than me, but things got pretty wild for a short period of time. Why? De-dinging tek worked WAY better than Hubbard’s ‘standard’ tek. If it didn’t it never would have gotten a foothold in the first place. When the International Finance Police came into the Missions and slammed in heavy ethics, gang-bang sec checks and KSW along with emptying the treasury the Mission network went into a nosedive and never recovered.
Thank you Finance Police and anyone else involved. You helped me find the exit and for that I am truly and forever grateful.
Dee-dinging was actually a financial scam (read up on it) and the only tech involved was coercion of money out of people by setting usually impossible targets that could not be met, thus invoking a financial penalty. The (rather loose, stretched and thus criminal) principle involved was already covered in the Dev-T Policies anyway i.e. don’t dev-t people and comply to (correctly set) targets. It was another way of setting suppressive targets (but with a financial penalty), but which again is also covered in the Target Series HCO PLs, if they were ever followed. Probably the only thing the Finance Police ever got right. But the rest of what you say is correct with Miscavige destroying the very productive Mission Network etc.
Foolproof. L. Con didn’t follow his own policies (especially targeting). And it was L. Con who gave the green light to the destruction and raping of the Mission N/W
But, keep on taking whatever you are taking if it is too uncomfortable to confront reality.
Ms B. Haven – The de-dinging mention brought up a memory of some guy exclaiming on a tape “What SP put me in coach instead of First Class!!!” Laughter! I don’t know if it’s King’s English, but once in awhile I’ll say to my wife “Quit dinging me!” laughter
ok – I just checked and it makes sense, kind of
ding (informal) 1.to cause surface damage to 2.to strike with force;hit
3. to blackball – dictionary.com
still pretty funny
When I joined staff at a mission, in 1978, we had well over a hundred staff members. All brand new Scn. All under 40.
Now go to Tampa Org etc, all the staff are older, except for the younger staff who were ALL born into Scn.
FYI, watch the Purif Intro film. It is so weird. Everyone in the film, male or female , is like exactly 28 years old. The same hight , very trim waist. Full head of hair. No facial hair,on the men. Only one actor , looked different. He was about 40, and plays the Dr.
Are these Ideal Orgs wheelchair accessible?
Scientology seems to eshew wheelchair access provisions to their followers and staff.
Also handicapped accessible BATHROOMS WITH toilet paper.
Thanks Terra.
As always clearly written.
Pretty soon the whole gang RB drew yesterday will be sing we stand tall from a wheelchair.
Its straight down and vertical from now on.
Kinda enjoyed the party before Little Dickey though.
Cool vibe running through the place.
TC, as always, well said – and Thank You!
I would not disagree, but would add a couple of things.
Dianetics was created at a time when there was a popular thirst for psychology and science, and then Scientology developed just as the baby boomer generation was looking for ways to change the world and raise their consciousness (and gratify their desire for self-fulfillment). To a significant extent, Hubbard and Scientology just happened to capture the spirit of a particular time. And many new and somewhat established organizations which thrived in that same period, are also shrinking and dying out. It’s hard to even think of an example of a group that was appealing to previous generations, that is thriving now – the evangelic Christian churches that are growing, are largely new foundations with younger ministers and programs oriented towards youth and young families. The Mormons have done relatively well perhaps in part because of their focus internal demographic growth through large families, but I hear rumblings that even they are now having real trouble keeping their youngest generations involved (recent surveys show their growth stalled, at best).
One of Scientology’s additional problems, is that it is anachronistic, and largely unable to change or adapt in any meaningful way. Besides Hubbard’s obviously dated references to DC-8 space planes and freight trains on Venus, Scientology’s whole approach just looks like yesterday’s – or your grandparents’ – news. The supposed “science” looks increasingly like pseudo-science, and real science has outpaced Scientology in areas like mental health. Alternative practices appealing to young people looking for ancient wisdom combined with modern approaches, such as meditation and mindfulness, martial arts and yoga, are now widely available, currently popular, and much more affordable and accessible. And Scientology can’t even readily respond to demographic, social and technological trends, by significantly changing its marketing or operations. In many ways, it really does resemble Christian Science, which has apparently decided that it would rather go the purist way of the Shakers than admit any reformation of its founder’s doctrines and approach.
Well, one point on which I would offer a differing theory, is that I think Miscavige was left with a dated ideology and cosmology that just didn’t appeal to younger generations, and is largely just carrying out the imposition of increasing internal ideological control that Hubbard began with the Sea Org after he realized that he was not going to be able to readily establish a true mass movement or a base of political control. The people who flooded into Scientology in the 1960s and 1970s in particular, brought with them their own ideals about what they wanted Scientology to be, and saw in Hubbard’s words what they wanted to see – and, in some cases, took him at his word about professed ideals that he himself was only giving lip service and had no real intention to implement. A reckoning was inevitable, and that came about as Hubbard’s Sea Org spread its tentacles throughout Scientology, culminating in the 1980s just as Hubbard was fading and Miscavige was rising to power. I’m not sure how much would have been different, even if Hubbard had lived to be 110 – I think his totalitarian inclinations would have percolated down through Scientology, and he would have continued introducing “latest and greatest” processes, but the continued failure of those to produce what was promised might actually have turned out worse than the moribund Hubbard idolatry that Miscavige is left to milk.
PeaceMaker: “anachronistic,” Yes. “dated ideology and cosmology,” Yes. I agree with everything you said.
Love the phrase, “moribund Hubbard idolatry.” Perfect.
“….One of Scientology’s additional problems, is that it is anachronistic,….”
Scientology counterbalances that with “Hard Sell” and the timeless tech of “Big League Sales”.
Rather than mold their followers into the psychological soul therapist (auditor), Scientology’s “Big League Sales” “Hard Sell” and “hype” keep them bare minimum in the money. While their rich dupes get catered to.
There once was a huckster named Hubbard
Who claimed psychs were screwing our mothers
He built a religion
But something was missing
Now all of his churches are shuttered
Bravo!
But wait, there’s more.
A punk by the name of Miscavige
Had minions with brains turned to cabbage
He called them SPs
Now they’re PTSD
And too weak to undo the damage
That’s Awesome MM!!!!
Thanks Dave. One more for mankind’s greatest friend.
I once swallowed all of the hype
Believed Ron to always be right
A spiritual raping
Was there for the taking
Until I stepped into the light
Our needles were floating like shit.
Recalling past lives was a hit.
But the fantasy wrecked
When the placebo effect
Testified, “THIS AIN’T LEGIT!”
??
There once was a charlatan named Ron
Who loved to bamboozle and con
He was a mad man who swindled
his sheeple … who dwindled
and left were a few “died-in-the-wooler’s” that belonged.
Shuttered, but seems like enough fresh newbie dupes clamor up to the staff ranks at the higher level fake churches to man those fake churches and cater to the rich dupes who throw money at Scientology.
Hubbard’s “timeless tech” behind the scenes, is “Hard Sell” and “Big League Sales” tactics, and “hype.”
The feeder system of Scientology are the Missions and Ideal Orgs. Rich dupes still throw money at this operation, and get catered to.
Nailed it Terra!
As an aside, I noticed that the “independent” scientologists featured on Reza Aslan’s show were all middle-aged or older. No young people amongst the indies either.
That seems to also be true for the posters here and on other sites about Scn. What should we make of that?
It proves Terra’s point.
The “blind leading the blind” is only workable for so long. Young people and anything its older generation advises always separates the wheat from the chaff in work-ability as youth turns into the ‘work for a living world’ – Scientology had its chance, completely blew it and chose the money for nothing instead. It lies for a living.
“Independent” is as hackneyed as Scientology standardness is. If something works, it works or am I missing something? I guess it’s just too easy to blame something else if something doesn’t work at it’s suppose to as your want it to. Evidence applied to any status quo is a bitch!
marilidi, many have commented, and I think it can be observed, that independent Scientology is mostly just a refuge for a small number of former long-term members of the CofS who remain committed to the practices. Thus the people involved are going to be older by virtue of having been in Scientology for quite a while, plus they also reflect Scientology’s generally aging demographic. Scientology does not really seem to have much attraction of its own or to be able to exist outside of at least the peripheral orbit of the CofS, and the organizational mechanisms that lure and create indoctrinated loyal followers of Hubbard.
Your could argue that independent Scientology is marginally “workable” enough that for people already familiar with it, it makes sense for them to continue to practice it rather than to try to find or learn some new therapy or practice. But it may just as well be an example of the cognitive bias of escalation of commitment, whereby people will continue to do something accustomed even though that actually makes less sense in the balance that switching to something else more efficient or effective.
p.s. the link you provided a while back for logical fallacies shown in a graphic format, is a good one that I’ve used in teaching and lecturing, and that has proven useful and popular. If you search for “cognitive biases” in google images, you will find several similar graphics for that topic, most notably 20 Cognitive Biases that Screw Up Your Decisions on lifehacker.com, and the more complex but complete Cognitive Bias Codex that Wikipedia uses.
It shows that the internet has killed the mystery of Ron and his processes.
It reveals that society at large, once having found out that advanced OT levels costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, are about auditing endless space aliens ?.
It reveals societies inherent intelligence, wog intelligence, sees through LRon Hubbard’s deception to make money.
Simple.
Some of this is true they limp and hobble along from being over worked . But they are getting them from other country’s now and some of these girls are hot looking girls I start crying I front of them in sorrow for what they have done . I am going to visit with Tom And John They live down the road now in clw fla 33755 and they don’t like me because they put on a show so fake no one will buy it I tell them they get a F-. but I have 6 months of the real show pictures and video from my sunglasses and walk around them day to day verifying the truth of the cult . so I really don’t know if some of these people are actors in their picture show
Very well written Terra C……as I grew up in the “flower child generation” I saw for myself young people being sucked into joining the “Moonies, Hare Krishna etc as they were “looking for something outside of the normal “boring” existence their parents were living.”
.
Having been born in Brooklyn NY, & later living on Long Island, I made frequent trips to NYC to visit family and friends. When I graduated high school & began college part time, I worked in the Legal Dept of a large Financial Concern & saw Scientology make it’s entrance to the NYC scene. Times Square was getting pretty crowded at that time, many young out of work people begging for donations to support their cause…actually their “church’s” cause financially, NO money for them.
The Hare Krishna’s in the 60’s were “dancing” on the corners in their white robes, bare feet, with shaved heads….bells ringing and chants bellowing….the Moonie’s used another method of bringing people into that format of religion.
.
Enter the “lovely CO$: & what it SEEMED TO BE…..for “flower children”… what BETTER time to get involved on the ground floor of Scientology’s basic “infancy” then to suck young people into the fold in order to “save the planet”. So many joined, yet after the members began receiving their own personal wake up calls, just like the Hare Krishna and Moonies groups, members began to exit.
Plain old common sense kept me OUT of any of these situations….sitting back and thinking,” Do I REALLY need what they appear to be selling???”…..I made other plans & saved myself but a few friends did get sucked in & they also paid the price, giving up their personal freedom, education, family, & money.
Seems that the punishment to exit CO$ was to withhold one’s family members from you, punish you & punish you family members who remain “in”….all in one fell swoop. Hey, it’s been working for decades, so why change now. They have GOT to hold on to the last ones who STILL believe in what’s been spewing out for decades, add to that a more sinister twist at the hands of those now in power…..
As the current older members become ill & are placed out to pasture, their sons & daughters are middle aged & some no doubt have medical issues & little to NO money….they can’t send their children let alone any grand children to college because they are BROKE. What happens now? IF they were to leave now, where would they go, what would they do, how would they live with no money?
FEAR is a great intimidator, the fear of being outside of what you’ve always know, with nothing to fall back on…no $$, no place to live, no food (as if they have food now)….& no support system because some of their family will NOT leave so now they are “disconnected at an advanced or middle aged….a scary existence when one is constantly threatened with the possible “loss of their reincarnation” etc…..COURAGE….that’s what it takes.
L.Y., those were tough times for airport patrons. Everyone in the airport was a part of a captive audience and had to run the gauntlet of Moonies, Hare Krishnas, scientologists, etc. Those too young to remember this think panhandlers and the TSA are bad. They are, but it was tough back in the good ol’ days too.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qse_wf57tZM
I well remember those days as I had to make business trips to Florida, California etc……you had to basically run past them as they nearly tackled you to get a $1…..many travelers gave them money to get away from them, only that didn’t work since you would “run into another flock”.
Going to lunch in NYC to the Automat or Horn and Hardart for a sandwich and coffee was like dodging a mine field….
I remember going to lunch with our company lawyers who’d say to these kids “GET A JOB”…..
Thanks for the memories Ms. B Haven, there WERE some GOOD times weren’t there!
Fantastic artivlr and summation!
Excellent TC.
Well said. The young folks in the SO are going to be hard to hold on to until they age out. Bringing in people from overseas will be harder with the new regulations going into place. What is a cult to do? DM will not live forever so who will the next great leader come from? Many questions and few good answers.
I was most active during the ’70s … back when LRH warned us we had only 5 years to clear the planet.
Still not cleared.
As for average age of Scientologists these days? Hard to tell from the photoshopped photos.
Robin: I seem to remember that we only had 5 years to clear the planet, too. Probably something to do with the Psychs causing global warming.
You nailed it Terra! When Lois and I were getting interrogated (sec checked) at AOLA a couple of years ago, we had to wait around in the reception (HGC reception). Sitting in reception we only saw old fogies in their 70s and 80s walking around with their stupid briefcases chained to their wrists, waiting for their sessions (keeping secure the OT III material that is posted all over the internet). The HGC Pages were mostly second generation young girls in their mid/late 20s. The reg, MAA, ESTO were all 2nd genners. It seemed that most of the young men were in security and rode around Big Blue on a bicycle. The young ladies that we spoke to did not even have a driver’s license and weren’t able to drive a car. So divorced from “wog life” – I don’t know how they would assimilate if they were to leave the cult.
Of course there were still those lifers around like James Byrnes, Dave Engelhard and David Light but they were getting long in the teeth. The D of P’s we dealt with were early mid-60s and reminded me of an old Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest. Nasty couple of hags we had to deal with.
I felt sorry for those young ladies that we met though. Unless they acquire some tremendous courage this will be the only life they will ever know. And they think they are doing the most important job in the world.
Sad.
Clearly: I must have been at AO at the same time and seen all the same faces you did!
Very true. To make things even crazier, when young teenagers (usually brought up in Scientology families) with no life experience (no sex, drug or work experience) are recruited they are immediately put in a position senior to the old veterans. They are put in the CMO (Commodores Messenger Org) or made Ethics Officers.
When I left there were 120 children in the Flag CMO running around like the “Lord Of The Flies”. You have a herd of tired old horses being whipped in all different directions by a bunch of kids that have been led to believe they are Gods gift to the world. You have children ordering around their own parents with the cold steel attitude they have been drilled to display. It’s bizarre.
The disrespect came across clearly as when Ron M said his OWN son David gave him a cold stare when he referred to him by his given name “Dave”. I can hardly believe the total insanity of having to ESCAPE a “church” but sneaking out or running away when a “monitor” is not watching you.
I can’t imagine the courage it to ALL of you to do so, for Mike…to have finally hit the wall and realize…I need to get OUT of here NOW….& for Ron and his wife to have to pretend to go out on a shopping trip just to get out of the clutches of CO$ & away from one’s OWN son who is on his own personal power trip.. .
The heart ache, heartbreak of having to separate from the much beloved family & friends to escape in a break for freedom and personal life choices instead of mindless control where you OWN nothing, not even your own bodies where forced abortions & the reports of rape and physical abuse exist…..to me
that is the most frightening aspect of this organization.
Mat: Love the “Lord of the Flies” reference. So true!
Excellent post
This is because the Boomer generation (only those born up to ~1956) was the only demographic that fell for scamology in any real numbers. Once they hit the point in their lives where they had responsibilities (~1974/5) the inflow to scamology fell off precipitously and NEVER reached anywhere close to the Boomer influx again.
Those Indies who believe that they can “boom” scamology again would have to recreate that demographic to have ANY chance in Hell plus they would have eliminate the internet and erase memories a la MiB.
I don’t know if there is no next generation of Scientologists, just that they won’t be at the local orgs. I think the priority and overwhelming pressure is to get them into the Sea Org, and get them to Flag or PAC. Their choices are to hide, join or blow, with no option as staff at the local orgs.
The only thing keeping the Sea Org numbers from the same free-fall as general active Scientologists are their imports on Religious Worker visas, and I suspect they lose a lot of those. So they desperately need the next gen as Sea Org to keep the lights on in Clearwater.
Good riddance
Can’t agree on the age limits re spiritual knowledge. Been at it well over 60 years and not slowing down even slightly. Neither is my wife. If anything, her search has grown steadily since leaving the cult. I got a fair amount from scio, but left in the Great Diaspora of the early 80s. Done. Finished. Saw the vicious change in attitudes and the unbelievable money grubbing. However, neither of us *hates* scio. That would be like hiking backwards. Their actions and attitudes will only speed their demise.
Gman: Your’e right, there are no age limits re spiritual knowledge. I think you’re the exception to the rule, however, in terms of searching and “at it well over 60 years and not slowing down even slightly.” Well done to you and your wife.
As an avid hiker, I prefer going forward, too.
Thanks. Long before we married, she said to me once, “The spiritual path is not the most important thing in the world; it’s the ONLY thing.” And after 60 years of it, I can only concur. I picked a good one!
Terra sez:
“A harsh Lord Google guards the gate.”
So true. All the while the God of Attrition holds the exit doors wide open.
Ms. B: Got to love that God of Attrition.
Well said. In its current form, this church has a generation – if that. Tick Tock
Wow! That was one hellava post, Terra! You hitting the nail on the head is an understatement! And, absolutely true. The aging of the cult does not portend good things for the future. Google: Scientology’s Waterloo! With the remaining members too old to give a shit.
Scientology in New York City during the early 1970’s was lots of fun. There were dozens of new people at the mission every month. I met my first wife at a party. There were parties about every two weeks.
Flag rocked in the late 1970’s. There were thousands on some weekends when solo NOTS was first introduced. With no internet, it was all a mystery by word of mouth. I remember having to wait in line for lunch at Flag. From my point of view, Scientology turned bad just before OT VIII was released in 1988.
Miscavige took over and the place started to stink. Not that Hubbard was any better. In 1980, he wrote his famous student briefing and let it all out about his plan to return in the role of the anti-Christ. Without the internet, it took me 17 years to see that Hubbard never had any intention to free anyone. He needed a religious cover so he copied a bunch of ideas from 19th Century Occult books. Hubbard turned out to be a complete contradiction. He was in way over his head. I think all he ever wanted was world conquest. The theory was his magic that he used to control people. The disadvantage that I had was based on my Catholic upbringing which would not allow me to read Occult Books. Hubbard was pouring through Occult books creating a viewpoint that I found interesting. Please notice that Tom Cruise and John Travolta come from a Catholic background. They have been brainwashed by Hubbard.
In my early 70’s now, I do see Scientology dying out in numbers. My adult children will have nothing to do with it. But these people have tons and tons of money. It seems to me that the key to removing Scientology now is centered on Miscavigism as a false copy of Hubbard.
George: I can totally relate to your first paragraph: the fun, the parties, the new people, and hooking up with husbands and wives.
It’s not just Scientology that’s on the decline. The fastest growing “belief” system in the world is now, thankfully, non belief. Clearly, religion is failing to meet the needs of the people – people who are, on the whole, more educated, more connected and less traditional than ever. It is losing its market share to humanism, to the sciences (where real miracles are performed) and to secular philosophy. There is no longer a need to look to the heavens for answers or to the words of superstitious peasants to find a moral compass. Logic and critical thinking are being taught in schools. You can learn about cognitive bias, social conditioning and thought reform on YouTube.
If current trends continue, non believers will eventually out number muslims and christians in the not too distant future. Hurrah for that.
I feel that people in Russia would disagree. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1992, the first things to reopen were the churches. This after seventy years of official state atheism.
Interesting point about Russia. I wish I had time to look into it further, but want to share a few general impressions.
One of the things that has always fascinated me about the attempts in communism, is that they have failed to reform the underlying culture as much as you might expect, and in recent years have returned to following historical forms – in China for instance, they have reverted to imperial-style rule, and ageless patterns of local corruption. In Russia, besides their reversion to political form, communism probably tried to replace religion in ways that more substituted new types of belief than transcended early patterns of faith, and may also not have eliminated traditional religious belief among the “masses” as much as it might have appeared. I suspect what is going on in Russia is not as much of a resurgence in belief, as a rejection of the imposed new beliefs and a return to earlier ones, combined with the re-emergence of officially suppressed beliefs that had survived clandestinely.
A quick check did show that 50 million Russians identified as Orthodox in the late 1980s, though I don’t know if that represented a consistent remaining body of belief, or the beginning of a resurgence; Wikipedia shows the following, which still doesn’t make Russia a heavily religious country:
“The most recent European Social Surveys (ESS), from 2007 and 2009, found that 46% of the population of Russia declared itself non religious, 45% Eastern Orthodox, 8% Muslim, and the remaining belonged to other faiths”.
What I see happening is an expansion of spirituality, not religion. The two are only loosely related. Spirituality is not a group thing, though there are many groups. The best directly support the individual in his/her seeking.
These are the people that a prominent Jesuit author referred to as being SBNR, meaning Spiritual But Not Religious.
“more educated”?
LOL! In the USA, the current youngest generation of adults is the LEAST educated in the history of this nation.
And the few young people I know, that erroneously started a service in an Org, did not last as they had no more money for the predators that were ruthlessly harassing them or because they eventually disconnected form their family and ended lost and alone; or both issues for that matter.
I am not making this up – I know of at least 12 young people that joined and did not las more than 3-6 months.
Thank you for the article Terra Cognita.
Bella Cruise (Tom and Nicole’s daughter) had a boyfriend in high school that tried to join. I don’t think he lasted a month. Allegedly Bella wanted to join SeaOrg to stay with him, but never did. As soon as this poor kid got out, Bella ended up marrying another Scientologist in the UK.
Scientology as trafficking means reparations are in order. I would like to see retirement benefits for all who have been trafficked as the appropriate use of its megawealth.
The truth shall set you free. This well thought-out and well-done essay is the truth!
Does David really expect to attract young people to a group:
that fosters abortion as a means of birth control,
a group that discourages married couples living together and having families,
a group that disconnects members of families,
a group that allows no free speech in a country where free-speech is expected as a right of birth?
Wonderful article, Terra Cognita. And most heartening. I’m sure many of us will breath more easily now about the future of this cult. We’re all waiting for its demise and it’s on the cards, for sure.
Of course, for it to lose it’s tax exemption would be the ultimate. We’ll wait have to be a bit more patiently for that.
But, in the meantime, this is encouraging.
Unfortunately for the Church of Scientology, few young people exist anymore within its ranks.
Have to disagree with you on this one. There are quite a few young people involved in Scn, particularly on staff. Sure, most are 2nd and 3rd generation. Most Ideal Orgs (that I’m aware of) have a core group of veteran Scnists, and a bunch of fledgling Scnists with little to no life experience.
All this good in Hubbard’s policy, but in practice its a mess.
I would agree that few NEW young people avail themselves of Scn. The 70s was Scn’s boom decade. But, that ship has sailed.
People and societies change, Scn doesn’t.
That ship sailed a long, long time ago. Never to be seen again…
Yep, Scientology has gone the way of the Pin Ball machine.
The all seeing, all knowing internet sure put ethics in on that Scientology bullshit! Senior Constable Google is a tough mother f***** to fool with.
Hey now, lets be fair…pinball is STILL way more fun and exciting that SCN. That $0.25 gives me far more pleasure than an auditing session.
😉
At least with Pin Ball you can WIN once in a while…..not so with CO$.
I was going to say that, that’s an insult to pinball machines everywhere…
And you can win free games! Something the cult would never allow. Yes, pin ball is far more fun and harmless than Scientology. You’re right I wasn’t fair & I didn’t think it through… You must accept I suppose that sometimes you’re still being Scientology affected, no matter how many rinse cycles you put your mind through – it still leaves a stain.
Google: Scientology’s arch enemy.
Yeah, Hubbard, nor Miscavige for that matter ever saw that “Electronic Ethic’s Officer” coming – Wow! a new term EEO, sort of has a screeching, hurt discovering type ring about it similar to the awareness Scientology leaves you with after you wake up from it!
Dave needs to declare Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Tilt!
Game over, please insert another quarter.
Mostly true, except for a few millennials who are 2nd generation. Those millennials however have a slightly different level of dedication. They are not hardcore. And they do follow the internet news and articles. The other issue TC did not mention. Millennials don’t have the money. And they are the largest demographic group in the US. Boomers are second.
BK: Good point. Boomer got the bucks. Millennials, not as much.
Does anyone get the impression when he or she bumps into a former regular acquaintance from an Org or mission one used to work or get or auditing or training at that the expression on the former regular acquaintances face seems to say “Oh, are you still around?” or “How long has this one been tagging along?” There isn’t any point in answering a question like that but it sure is good to know now WHO one thought one’s friends were then compared to now. 🙂
Good summary and well written.